That Dog Will Manhunt

On March 17 at 4:05 p.m., an SDPD helicopter circled the neighborhood at I-5 and Tocayo Avenue. Police announced over their P.A. system that they were in pursuit of a suspect described as a black male, 5'10" tall, approximately 140 lbs., wearing black shorts and a white shirt. Any sighting, they announced, should be made known to the police.

At 4:55 p.m., after officers had scoured the area on foot and from the air, there was a sighting of the suspect about a half mile south on International Road, which ends in a field on the U.S./Mexico border.

At that point, the helicopter, patrol cars, and the U.S. Border Patrol all began to intensify the search in the border field and adjacent areas. They consistently broadcast the description of the suspect and urged residents to look in their yards and garages.

At 5:09 p.m., the Border Patrol, San Diego cruiser units, and officers following on foot converged at International Road and Dalisay Street. At 5:11 p.m., at the intersection of Deep Haven Lane and Pikake Street, a resident yelled, "There he goes – he’s jumping the fences."

Almost simultaneously, helicopter personnel stated over the P.A. that the suspect was heavily tattooed and in his late teens. At 5:18 p.m., at the corner of International Road and Wardlow Street, the SDPD and Border Patrol let loose their dogs as the suspect was seen at the end of Wardlow, which runs parallel to the border.

A stray dog seen wandering the neighborhood during all this activity got caught up in the action and followed the police dogs in the pursuit!

At 5:25 p.m. the suspect was apprehended on the 2600 block of Wardlow, a couple hundred yards from the border.

SDPD officers and Border Patrol agents didn’t respond to inquiries as to why the suspect was on the run.